I heard on the news tonight a Blue Angel went down back home just off the coast of Pensacola. When I was in 8th grade I started working on the offshore charter boats and would lay in the life rafts on top of the boat and watch them practice while the customers fished... Pretty cool laying 30 - 50 miles offshore watching your own air show...
Thankfully this time the pilot ejected safely unlike two pilots killed in the last crash in 1999.

Back around 1972 the Blue Angles were practicing for a show at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey. At that time they were flying the F4 Phantom. Well, early one moning a flight of 5 of them were up and three or four of them collided and crashed. One of them almost hit my brothers car as he drove down a road that paralled the base. He spotted it in the mirror as it passed behind his car. Several good pilots lost their lives that day.

We got to watch them practice while doing hurricane cleanup work in Pensacola. Definately a cool way to work and spend your breaks. Glad to hear the pilot is ok.